1980 United States presidential election in Ohio

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1980 United States presidential election in Ohio

← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter John B. Anderson
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Home state California Georgia Illinois
Running mate George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale Patrick Lucey
Electoral vote 25 0 0
Popular vote 2,206,545 1,752,414 254,472
Percentage 51.51% 40.91% 5.94%

Map of election results by county
County Results

President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1980 United States presidential election in Ohio took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose 25 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Because of Ohio's long-time bellwether status, Carter and Reagan campaigned heavily in the state from the start of the presidential primaries.[1] At the beginning of the campaign, it was clear that inflation and the Iranian hostage crisis were cutting heavily into Carter's popularity in the industrial areas of the state,[2] although Reagan was not viewed warmly by the state's electorate either.[3]

Despite the coldness with which the incumbent President was received on his first visit to Columbus, Carter did gain a critical victory over challenger Ted Kennedy in Ohio's presidential primary on June 4, owing to his dominance of Ohio's heavily Appalachian rural counties[4] plus the endorsement of both Buckeye State Senator John Glenn[5] and Cleveland's Plain Dealer newspaper.[6]

In the earliest polls after the nominations were settled, Reagan was slightly ahead of Carter,[7] and from midsummer the GOP nominee targeted Ohio as part of his strategy of appealing to industrial workers in the Northeast and Great Lakes region.[8] Ohio gained further attention from a court case that allowed independent candidate and former Republican rival to Reagan John B. Anderson to be on the state's ballot,[9] but Reagan continued his strategy of seeking the support of Ohio's industrial workers during the remainder of the summer.[10] However, after the challenger being ahead for the first half of the fall – although never by an irreversible margin – by mid-October Ohio was seen as close because Reagan was not gaining so much support from industrial workers as he had hoped in August,[11] with voters simply debating “which candidate they liked least”.[12] However, by the beginning of November, Ohio was viewed as the most problematic of the three “key” Midwestern states[a] for Carter's re-election battle, as he was only seventy-five thousand votes ahead in Cuyahoga County, which he had won by over 93,000 votes in his 11,000-vote statewide triumph four years previously.[13] The Equal Rights Amendment and abortion were also seen as severely handicapping Carter in the Southern-leaning Appalachian counties where he had done well in 1976.[13]

Ohio was won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan (R) by 11%.[14] Ohio voted very close to the nation for both Carter and Reagan, although Anderson was 0.7% below his national percentage. Reagan was the first Republican since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to carry heavily populated Lucas County.[15]

Ronald Reagan campaigning in Youngstown, Ohio on October 8, 1980.

Results[edit]

1980 United States presidential election in Ohio[16]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan 2,206,545 51.51% 25
Democrat Jimmy Carter (incumbent) 1,752,414 40.91% 0
Not Designated John Anderson 254,472 5.94% 0
Not Designated Ed Clark 49,033 1.14% 0
Not Designated Barry Commoner 8,564 0.20% 0
Not Designated Gus Hall 4,729 0.11% 0
Not Designated Richard Congress 4,029 0.09% 0
Not Designated Deirdre Griswold 3,790 0.09% 0
Write-in Benjamin Bubar 27 0.00% 0
Totals 4,283,603 100.00% 25

Results by county[edit]

County Ronald Reagan
Republican
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
John B. Anderson
Not Designated
Edward E. Clark
Not Designated
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast[16]
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 5,336 53.75% 4,161 41.91% 303 3.05% 99 1.00% 29 0.29% 1,175 11.84% 9,928
Allen 29,070 65.84% 13,140 29.76% 1,439 3.26% 419 0.95% 86 0.19% 15,930 36.08% 44,154
Ashland 11,691 62.56% 5,142 27.51% 1,128 6.04% 427 2.28% 301 1.61% 6,549 35.05% 18,689
Ashtabula 19,847 49.04% 17,363 42.91% 2,481 6.13% 600 1.48% 176 0.43% 2,484 6.13% 40,467
Athens 8,170 41.26% 9,514 48.05% 1,544 7.80% 378 1.91% 195 0.98% -1,344 -6.79% 19,801
Auglaize 11,537 65.34% 5,022 28.44% 785 4.45% 212 1.20% 101 0.57% 6,515 36.90% 17,657
Belmont 13,601 42.47% 16,653 52.00% 1,432 4.47% 251 0.78% 87 0.27% -3,052 -9.53% 32,024
Brown 6,065 53.50% 4,706 41.51% 339 2.99% 151 1.33% 76 0.67% 1,359 11.99% 11,337
Butler 61,231 61.91% 31,796 32.15% 4,717 4.77% 826 0.84% 331 0.33% 29,435 29.76% 98,901
Carroll 5,806 58.94% 3,476 35.29% 406 4.12% 137 1.39% 26 0.26% 2,330 23.65% 9,851
Champaign 7,356 60.17% 4,109 33.61% 596 4.88% 132 1.08% 32 0.26% 3,247 26.56% 12,225
Clark 27,237 50.42% 22,630 41.90% 3,414 6.32% 569 1.05% 165 0.31% 4,607 8.52% 54,015
Clermont 26,674 63.37% 13,199 31.36% 1,697 4.03% 448 1.06% 73 0.17% 13,475 32.01% 42,091
Clinton 7,675 61.90% 3,967 31.99% 608 4.90% 116 0.94% 34 0.27% 3,708 29.91% 12,400
Columbiana 20,798 50.55% 17,459 42.43% 2,320 5.64% 464 1.13% 102 0.25% 3,339 8.12% 41,143
Coshocton 8,359 60.33% 4,725 34.10% 525 3.79% 161 1.16% 86 0.62% 3,634 26.23% 13,856
Crawford 12,424 62.89% 6,058 30.67% 915 4.63% 307 1.55% 51 0.26% 6,366 32.22% 19,755
Cuyahoga 254,883 41.47% 307,448 50.02% 40,750 6.63% 6,915 1.12% 4,686 0.76% -52,565 -8.55% 614,682
Darke 12,773 58.17% 7,635 34.77% 1,198 5.46% 288 1.31% 64 0.29% 5,138 23.40% 21,958
Defiance 9,358 59.84% 5,096 32.59% 896 5.73% 240 1.53% 49 0.31% 4,262 27.25% 15,639
Delaware 14,740 64.48% 6,417 28.07% 1,278 5.59% 336 1.47% 90 0.39% 8,323 36.41% 22,861
Erie 15,628 51.29% 12,343 40.51% 1,908 6.26% 348 1.14% 243 0.80% 3,285 10.78% 30,470
Fairfield 24,096 60.98% 13,144 33.26% 1,689 4.27% 498 1.26% 88 0.22% 10,952 27.72% 39,515
Fayette 5,827 64.26% 2,810 30.99% 327 3.61% 86 0.95% 18 0.20% 3,017 33.27% 9,068
Franklin 200,948 53.87% 143,932 38.58% 21,269 5.70% 4,429 1.19% 2,467 0.66% 57,016 15.29% 373,045
Fulton 9,519 64.72% 3,972 27.01% 1,026 6.98% 152 1.03% 38 0.26% 5,547 37.71% 14,707
Gallia 6,469 56.73% 4,406 38.64% 401 3.52% 93 0.82% 35 0.31% 2,063 18.09% 11,404
Geauga 17,762 58.81% 9,542 31.59% 2,359 7.81% 421 1.39% 120 0.40% 8,220 27.22% 30,204
Greene 24,922 51.03% 20,068 41.09% 3,160 6.47% 469 0.96% 223 0.46% 4,854 9.94% 48,842
Guernsey 8,180 58.08% 5,121 36.36% 604 4.29% 129 0.92% 50 0.36% 3,059 21.72% 14,084
Hamilton 206,979 57.73% 129,114 36.01% 17,898 4.99% 3,155 0.88% 1,395 0.39% 77,865 21.72% 358,541
Hancock 18,264 67.62% 6,843 25.34% 1,467 5.43% 283 1.05% 153 0.57% 11,421 42.28% 27,010
Hardin 7,457 61.51% 3,863 31.87% 528 4.36% 201 1.66% 74 0.61% 3,594 29.64% 12,123
Harrison 3,639 52.62% 2,848 41.18% 331 4.79% 74 1.07% 24 0.35% 791 11.44% 6,916
Henry 7,584 66.01% 3,059 26.63% 691 6.01% 116 1.01% 39 0.34% 4,525 39.38% 11,489
Highland 7,359 59.35% 4,363 35.19% 454 3.66% 107 0.86% 117 0.94% 2,996 24.16% 12,400
Hocking 4,588 52.02% 3,765 42.69% 312 3.54% 122 1.38% 32 0.36% 823 9.33% 8,819
Holmes 3,860 60.37% 2,094 32.75% 329 5.15% 90 1.41% 21 0.33% 1,766 27.62% 6,394
Huron 11,173 58.32% 6,537 34.12% 1,110 5.79% 279 1.46% 60 0.31% 4,636 24.20% 19,159
Jackson 5,902 55.06% 4,409 41.13% 274 2.56% 85 0.79% 49 0.46% 1,493 13.93% 10,719
Jefferson 15,777 40.99% 20,382 52.95% 1,797 4.67% 395 1.03% 140 0.36% -4,605 -11.96% 38,491
Knox 10,384 57.07% 6,586 36.20% 987 5.42% 190 1.04% 48 0.26% 3,798 20.87% 18,195
Lake 43,485 50.31% 35,246 40.78% 5,925 6.86% 1,381 1.60% 391 0.45% 8,239 9.53% 86,428
Lawrence 13,799 52.68% 11,366 43.39% 813 3.10% 157 0.60% 59 0.23% 2,433 9.29% 26,194
Licking 28,425 58.28% 17,208 35.28% 2,419 4.96% 544 1.12% 173 0.35% 11,217 23.00% 48,769
Logan 9,727 64.87% 4,319 28.80% 718 4.79% 197 1.31% 33 0.22% 5,408 36.07% 14,994
Lorain 51,034 49.51% 40,919 39.69% 7,324 7.10% 2,909 2.82% 898 0.87% 10,115 9.82% 103,084
Lucas 86,653 45.30% 85,341 44.61% 16,636 8.70% 1,538 0.80% 1,130 0.59% 1,312 0.69% 191,298
Madison 7,166 63.14% 3,565 31.41% 438 3.86% 119 1.05% 62 0.55% 3,601 31.73% 11,350
Mahoning 50,153 40.07% 63,677 50.88% 9,490 7.58% 1,009 0.81% 832 0.66% -13,524 -10.81% 125,161
Marion 14,605 56.98% 9,419 36.75% 1,255 4.90% 294 1.15% 58 0.23% 5,186 20.23% 25,631
Medina 24,723 58.79% 13,573 32.28% 2,965 7.05% 654 1.56% 135 0.32% 11,150 26.51% 42,050
Meigs 4,911 53.56% 3,827 41.73% 294 3.21% 112 1.22% 26 0.28% 1,084 11.83% 9,170
Mercer 8,673 56.54% 5,506 35.90% 941 6.13% 174 1.13% 45 0.29% 3,167 20.64% 15,339
Miami 19,928 55.65% 12,893 36.01% 2,429 6.78% 463 1.29% 95 0.27% 7,035 19.64% 35,808
Monroe 2,870 45.03% 3,166 49.68% 266 4.17% 47 0.74% 24 0.38% -296 -4.65% 6,373
Montgomery 101,443 45.49% 105,110 47.13% 13,817 6.20% 1,797 0.81% 842 0.38% -3,667 -1.64% 223,009
Morgan 3,236 60.31% 1,875 34.94% 156 2.91% 80 1.49% 19 0.35% 1,361 25.37% 5,366
Morrow 6,179 61.96% 3,239 32.48% 383 3.84% 142 1.42% 29 0.29% 2,940 29.48% 9,972
Muskingum 17,921 54.82% 12,584 38.50% 1,329 4.07% 456 1.40% 398 1.22% 5,337 16.32% 32,688
Noble 3,025 57.38% 1,944 36.87% 208 3.95% 66 1.25% 29 0.55% 1,081 20.51% 5,272
Ottawa 8,641 51.18% 6,753 40.00% 1,281 7.59% 176 1.04% 32 0.19% 1,888 11.18% 16,883
Paulding 4,971 58.52% 2,778 32.71% 550 6.48% 159 1.87% 36 0.42% 2,193 25.81% 8,494
Perry 5,725 53.77% 4,383 41.16% 369 3.47% 136 1.28% 35 0.33% 1,342 12.61% 10,648
Pickaway 9,289 61.23% 5,052 33.30% 515 3.39% 229 1.51% 85 0.56% 4,237 27.93% 15,170
Pike 4,426 45.08% 4,938 50.30% 257 2.62% 59 0.60% 138 1.41% -512 -5.22% 9,818
Portage 22,829 47.37% 20,570 42.69% 3,798 7.88% 769 1.60% 224 0.46% 2,259 4.68% 48,190
Preble 8,376 56.89% 5,416 36.79% 687 4.67% 185 1.26% 59 0.40% 2,960 20.10% 14,723
Putnam 9,752 68.71% 3,742 26.37% 533 3.76% 140 0.99% 26 0.18% 6,010 42.34% 14,193
Richland 29,213 57.48% 18,253 35.91% 2,586 5.09% 596 1.17% 176 0.35% 10,960 21.57% 50,824
Ross 13,251 55.54% 9,355 39.21% 812 3.40% 293 1.23% 148 0.62% 3,896 16.33% 23,859
Sandusky 13,420 55.53% 8,482 35.10% 1,851 7.66% 299 1.24% 114 0.47% 4,938 20.43% 24,166
Scioto 15,881 48.76% 15,552 47.75% 816 2.51% 243 0.75% 76 0.23% 329 1.01% 32,568
Seneca 14,172 60.93% 7,303 31.40% 1,415 6.08% 294 1.26% 75 0.32% 6,869 29.53% 23,259
Shelby 8,988 54.33% 6,425 38.84% 895 5.41% 192 1.16% 44 0.27% 2,563 15.49% 16,544
Stark 87,769 55.87% 59,005 37.56% 8,030 5.11% 1,875 1.19% 427 0.27% 28,764 18.31% 157,106
Summit 92,299 43.35% 102,459 48.12% 15,002 7.05% 2,449 1.15% 710 0.33% -10,160 -4.77% 212,919
Trumbull 41,056 44.15% 44,366 47.70% 6,281 6.75% 877 0.94% 422 0.45% -3,310 -3.55% 93,002
Tuscarawas 15,708 52.21% 12,117 40.27% 1,779 5.91% 417 1.39% 65 0.22% 3,591 11.94% 30,086
Union 7,576 67.73% 3,038 27.16% 421 3.76% 131 1.17% 20 0.18% 4,538 40.57% 11,186
Van Wert 7,866 61.11% 4,070 31.62% 741 5.76% 160 1.24% 35 0.27% 3,796 29.49% 12,872
Vinton 2,484 49.05% 2,381 47.02% 138 2.73% 44 0.87% 17 0.34% 103 2.03% 5,064
Warren 22,430 63.14% 11,306 31.83% 1,348 3.79% 332 0.93% 106 0.30% 11,124 31.31% 35,522
Washington 14,310 59.70% 7,936 33.11% 1,121 4.68% 504 2.10% 100 0.42% 6,374 26.59% 23,971
Wayne 18,962 55.87% 12,129 35.73% 2,313 6.81% 419 1.23% 119 0.35% 6,833 20.14% 33,942
Williams 9,146 64.31% 4,015 28.23% 872 6.13% 151 1.06% 37 0.26% 5,131 36.08% 14,221
Wood 23,315 55.23% 14,139 33.49% 4,156 9.85% 416 0.99% 187 0.44% 9,176 21.74% 42,213
Wyandot 5,786 63.06% 2,757 30.05% 407 4.44% 151 1.65% 74 0.81% 3,029 33.01% 9,175
Totals 2,206,545 51.51% 1,752,414 40.91% 254,472 5.94% 49,033 1.14% 21,139 0.49% 454,131 10.60% 4,283,603

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Michigan and Illinois were the other two states considered in this context, and Carter also lost them, though by smaller margins than Ohio.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Weisman, Steven R.; ‘Carter and Reagan 'Debate' in Ohio, Six Blocks Apart: Two Images of the U.S.’; The New York Times Special, May 29, 1980, p. A1
  2. ^ Schellhardt, Timothy D.; ‘Midwest Mood: Carter's Support Slides In a Blue-Collar Town That Backed Him in ‘76’; Wall Street Journal, June 2, 1980, p. 1
  3. ^ Smith, Terence; ‘Visits by Carter and Reagan to Put Ohio's Capital on the Political Map: Little Enthusiasm for Candidates – “Turned His Back on the State”’; New York Times Special, May 29, 1980. p. B6
  4. ^ Nyhan, David and Black, Chris; ‘Carter Is Over Top; Kennedy Will Fight On – Ohio to President; N.J. to Senator; California Close’; The Boston Globe, June 4, 1980, p. 1
  5. ^ ‘Campaign Report: Carter Gets Endorsement From Senator Glenn of Ohio’; The New York Times, May 22, 1980, p. B8
  6. ^ ‘Campaign Report: Kennedy Warns of Threats Of Unrest in Inner Cities; Carter and Reagan Lead In Poll of Jersey Residents; Cleveland Plain Dealer Endorses Carter and Reagan’; The New York Times, May 26, 1980, p. A13
  7. ^ ‘Reagan Leads, Poll Indicates’; The Boston Globe, June 16, 1980, p. 1
  8. ^ Sperling, Godfrey, Jr.; ‘How Reagan plans to beat Carter in November; “Northeast strategy” targets Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, banks on big 'blue collar' vote’; The Christian Science Monitor, July 16, 1980
  9. ^ ‘Campaign Report: Anderson Wins Court Battle To Be on the Ohio Ballot’; The New York Times, July 18, 1980, p. A7
  10. ^ Broder, David S. ‘Reagan, Citing 'the Carter Depression,' Courts Labor: Decrying 'the Carter Depression,' Reagan Courts Support of Labor’; The Washington Post, August 28, 1980, p. A1
  11. ^ Clymer, Adam; ‘Ohio Race Expected to Be Close As Labor Mobilizes for President’; New York Times Special, October 16, 1980, p. A1
  12. ^ Hunt, Albert R.; ‘Buckeye Ambivalence: In Pivotal Ohio, With Reagan Slightly Ahead, Voters Debate Which Candidate They Like Least’; The Wall Street Journal, October 9, 1098. p. 48
  13. ^ a b Healy, Robert L.; ‘Ohio, Mich, and Illinois may decide the election’; The Boston Globe, November 1, 1980, p. 1
  14. ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results – Ohio". uselectionatlas.org.
  15. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 276-280 ISBN 0786422173
  16. ^ a b McGillivray & Scammon 1994, pp. 579–580.

Works cited[edit]